Stew Smith, CSCS®

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle, check out his Fitness eBook store and the Stew Smith article archive on Military.com. Contact Stew with your comments and questions at stew@stewsmith.com.

Latest Articles

U.S. Army Sgt. Lucas Johnson, a Georgia Army National Guardsman, finishes the 2-mile run event of the Army Combat Fitness Test at Fort Stewart.

How to Lessen the Impact of Running but Still Receive the Cardio Benefits

If your running workout must be altered for any reason, here is a way to cut down on how much pavement you pound while still...

SEAL candidates participate in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training.

Navy SEAL Training

What is Navy SEAL training, and what does it take to be a Navy SEAL? Here's a rundown of the physical and skills training...

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Adirachel Sauvou, Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC)’s command fitness leader, marks time and encourages a sailor during the annual physical readiness test.

How to Prepare for the Timed Run Part of Your Physical Fitness Test

Getting better at running for a non-running athlete or someone new to the activity can be challenging as you can easily incur...

The 3 Most Widely Abused Substances in Military Life (and How to Regulate Your Intake)

Smoking and other tobacco use and binge drinking are higher than the national average in military members, and these habits...

An airman checks his status with a scale and a tape measure.

Air Force Weight Charts

In 2004, the Air Force set new weight requirements for joining. Another change is that the weight requirements are now...

A U.S. Navy hospitalman completes the push-up portion of a recon physical assessment test (RPAT) at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Marine Force Recon Workout: Fitness Tests and Selection Process Info Worth Knowing

Just to get accepted and complete Recon training, you should prepare yourself for two fitness tests.

The Science of Taking a Nap (and How to Get Better Sleep at Night)

For years, there has been a debate about the usefulness of a short nap in the early afternoon.

Sgt. First Class Angelica Bridges competes in the 6-mile ruck march event of the 2023 ASC Best Warrior Competition at Marseilles Training Center, Illinois.

Tactical Periodization: How to Assess Your Tactical Fitness Training as Summer Turns to Fall

If you have ever considered making regularly scheduled changes to your training, you should try the seasonal approach.

A beginner athlete in the newly offered tactical fitness class, OnRamp, adds a 10-pound weight to a barbell at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

How to Customize a Full-Body Workout Circuit for Beginner Fitness Levels

This series of circuits can be done in its entirety, or you can pick a section you prefer to do, depending on your abilities...

Air Force Senior Airman Megan Stanton swims laps at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

How to Make the Most of Your Workout When Crunched for Time

Completing half a planned workout is better than nothing.

DoD Resources for Physical Health, Wellness, Nutrition and Injury Prevention and Recovery

Within the Defense Department, the Defense Health Agency has realized the need for science-based human performance...

A U.S. Army adviser assigned to 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade and their families performs a pull-up at Fort Benning, Georgia. Fort Benning has since been renamed Fort Moore.

The Best Pull-Up Workouts to Get Unstuck on Your Progression

The following workouts are helpful ideas to get unstuck in those difficult-to-improve zones of maxing out pull-up tests.

Drill sergeant and recruiter candidates do warm-up exercises on Fort Carson, Colo.

4 Times When ‘Listening to Your Body’ Pays Off – And Not Just in the Gym

The ability to listen to your mind and body can be useful in helping you get done more efficiently, without pain or injury...

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Xiomara M. Martinez)

3 Health and Fitness Tenets That Will Never Change

Information overload is a common issue in today’s world of constant screen time on every topic, and fitness is not excluded.

The Best Leg Day Workout That's Adjustable for Beginner and Intermediate Levels

If you are looking for a relatively easy leg day, with more than half of the volume made up of cardiovascular training rather...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

US Destroyer Crew Fought U-Boat Sailors Hand to Hand

During World War II, the crew of a brand-new destroyer escort, USS Buckley, slugged it out in hand-to-hand combat...

Soldier Born into Life of Crime Received Medal of Honor

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8 Legendary US Military Snipers

The most notable snipers in U.S. military history aren’t just legends. They include real soldiers, sailors and Marines who...

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A headstone in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery marks the remains of the only known former Waffen-SS member...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

Portrait of Henry Gunther, the last American soldier to be killed in action during World War I. He died only seconds before the armistice went into effect on Nov. 11, 1918. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Last American Killed in WWI Charged a German Machine Gun Seconds Before the Armistice Took Effect

Gen. John Pershing would officially designate Gunther as the last American soldier killed in World War I. He was one of...

Rin Tin Tin poses in his personalized director's chair during his Hollywood heyday in the 1920s. The German shepherd earned $1,000 per week at Warner Bros.—more than most human actors—and starred in 27 films between 1922 and 1931. Warner Bros. maintained 18 trained stand-in dogs to reduce stress on their canine star. (Vintage Everyday)

Rescued From a WWI Battlefield, This Dog Became Hollywood's Biggest Star and Saved Warner Bros. From Bankruptcy

On Sept. 15, 1918, Corporal Lee Duncan walked through the bombed-out ruins of a German camp near Flirey, France. There, he...

Navy News

U.S. Air Force transport aircrafts are seen on the tarmac at Ramstein Air Base, in Germany.

US Government Shutdown Forces Local Workers at Some Overseas Bases to Go Without Pay

At least 2,000 people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost...

A U.S. Marine Corps plane captain assigned to the Marine Fighter Attach Squadron (VFMA) 225, signals to a pilot in a F35B Lightning II as it taxis on the flightline after landing in the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility, Sept. 13, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the USSOUTHCOM mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Katelynn Jackson)

U.S. Deploys F-35 Fighters to Cold War-Era Puerto Rico Base as Venezuela Tensions Escalate

The U.S. military has reactivated a Cold War-era naval base in Puerto Rico and deployed thousands of troops to the Caribbean...

Air Force News

US Government Shutdown Forces Local Workers at Some Overseas Bases to Go Without Pay

At least 2,000 people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost...

Rick Bottoroff with his wife, Stefanie, new owners of an Office Pride business. (Submitted photo)

How a 20-Year Air Force Veteran Made the Leap to Small Business Owner

With tactical and leadership skills honed from decades in the Air Force, along with his wife's business savvy, Rick Bottoroff...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Marine K9 Handler Marcus Gill and his Military Working Dog, Izzy, on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2009. (Marcus Gill)

Wounded K9 Handler Overcame Near-Fatal IED Blast, Found Faith to Help Others

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Command Crisis on Saipan: The Only Time a Marine General Ever Fired an Army General

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Holland M. “Howlin' Mad” Smith—commanding the V Amphibious Corps—had just done something unprecedented...

Coast Guard News

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participates in a tour at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Charleston, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

More Recruits Require More Space: Coast Guard Announces New Training Center

Days after the U.S. Coast Guard announced some of its highest recruiting numbers in decades, it now intends to open a new...

US Coast Guard Recruitment Hits Highest Mark in Decades: 'Workforce of Future'

The service hits its highest numbers since 1991, with bigger plans to come.